1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a network printing system. More specifically, the present invention relates to a network printing system that can easily carry out printing by using a network printer without a special server therefor.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a conventional network printing system, when desired data used in application software (hereinafter referred to as application data) are printed in a desired printing condition by using a computer connected to a network, the computer needs to be installed with application software appropriate for the desired application data and a printer driver appropriate for the desired printing condition.
In order to prevent such inconvenience, a network printing system has been proposed wherein a computer can issue an instruction to print desired application data without installation of application software for the desired application data therein, by using a dedicated PDL generation server on a network (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-117736).
Another network printing system has also been proposed for enabling printing without consideration of a printer driver (see Japanese Unexamined Patent publication No. 11(1999)-327845). In this system, a printer server connected to a plurality of printers and having a printer driver of common PDL is installed on a network, and data are sent from the printer server to an optimal one of the printers. In this manner, printing can be carried out without consideration of a printer driver installed in a computer being used by a user.
However, in the network printing system described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-117736, the dedicated PDL generation server needs to be installed in the system. In addition, access is concentrated on the PDL generation server from a plurality of computers, which leads to deterioration in efficiency of data conversion into PDL.
Furthermore, in the network printing system described in Japanese Unexamined Patent publication No. 11(1999)-327845, the special printer server is necessary. Therefore, the problem of deteriorating efficiency also occurs due to concentrated access to the printer server. Furthermore, application software appropriate for the desired application data is necessary in the computer issuing an instruction to print the data, which is inconvenient.